Crime down in Indian River County, rest of Florida for beginning of 2018, data shows

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement reported 3,341 murders, rapes, robberies, aggravated assaults, burglaries, larcenies and motor vehicle thefts throughout the county, the seven crimes tracked by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. That's up 7 percent from 2016. GINNY BEAGAN/TCPALM
Wochit

Indian River County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene personnel gather evidence at the scene of a shooting at the Motel 6 behind IHOP on State Road 60 Monday, April 2, 2018, in Indian River County. One person was shot in the chest and was flown to Lawnwood Regional Medical Center & Heart Institute in Fort Pierce.(Photo: PATRICK DOVE/TCPALM)

The data, which has been collected for decades, helps show crime trends locally and statewide. The year-round statistics are typically available in the spring and present a more comprehensive picture of crime trends.

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Arrests of juveniles: There were 216 juvenile arrests, a 20 percent drop. Flowers said deputies are trained to avoid giving juveniles permanent records when possible. "We've been pushing the use of juvenile civil citations for some time now," he said. Statewide, the drop was 14 percent.

What's up?

Murder and rape: Five murders were investigated in the first six months of the year, compared with two last year. The number of rapes rose from 11 to 17. There was a slight uptick, less than 5 percent, in murders and rapes statewide.

Drug arrests: There were 751 drug arrests, a 22 percent rise. Flowers said that is rooted in the battle against the opioid epidemic. "We continue to make drug arrests associated with heroin and the illegal use of pills," he said. An 8 percent rise was seen statewide.

Arrests of adults: 2,870 adults were arrested between January and June, a nearly 13 percent increase. Statewide, there was a 1 percent drop.